Air-motor.



D. B. WOOD.

AIB MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAR. 15, 1908. Patented Jaln 19' 3 EERSTE-SHEET 1.

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D. B. WOOD.

AIR MOTOR.

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DANIEL BENTON WOOD, OF ALMYRA, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO WOOD AIRMO'IER C0., OF

ALMYRA, ARKANSAS.

AIB-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 19119.

Application filed January 16, 190B. Serial No. 410,955.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, DANIEL BENTON WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ahnyra, in the county of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Motors, of which the followin is a specification reference bein had to t 1e accompanying drawings.

Iv invention relates to im rovements in Windwheels of tally disposed blades.

The principal oblject of the invention is to improve and simp ify the construction and o eration of windwheels or motors of this c aracter and thereby render the same stronger, more durable and efficient and less expensive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a. simple and practical mechanism for feathering the blades, which mechanism will be automatically controlled.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for controllinfr the speed of the wheel either automatically or manually.

With the above and other objects in View,

and provided with feathering the invention consists oi' the novel features j of construction and the combination and arran rement of accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section through my inlproved windwheel or wind motor; Fig. 2 is a similar view taken in a plane at right angles; Fig. 3 is a lunizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 1; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views showing the construction of several of the parts.

My improved Windwheel comprises a vertical shatt 1 mounted for rotation in a tubular bearing sleeve or head 2, referably of cy lindrical form, arranged at t '1e top of a tower 3 or any other suitable supporting structure. The embodiment of my invention illustrated has its Wheel com osed of upper and lower sets of feathering lilades 4, but a greater or less number of sets may he employed, in the former case the blades of each set are superposed in vertical alinement as illustrated. Any number of the blades 4 may be provided in each set, and each one is rotatably mountthat type Whici are horizon- I l shaft 1. of Arkansas and State i vided for l l I l l l i x i i l ed u on a s oke or arm 5 which radiates from a hu 6 in t e form of a collar fixed u Von the Suitable brace rods 7 may e prosupporting the Outer ends of the spokes and reinforcing the wheel.

Each of the blades 4 has a fiat body portion or late tapered from its outer t0 its inner end) and reinforced b transverse straps 8, the central portions el, which latter are bent to rovide bearing collars 9 which engage an rotate upon one of the spokes 5.

he superposed blades of the two series are connected together for simultaneous movement b links 10 which have their ends pivoted a jacent to the central portions of the outer or upper edges of said superposed blades as clearly shown in Fi 1. For the purpose of reventing the bla es from passthe horizontal when they are shlfted from their vertical to their horizontal positions shown in Fig. 1, I provide stops 11 Il 1n the form of U-shaped brackets which prox i i I projects through reduced bearing1 ject horizontally from the spokes 5 as more clearly shown in Fi 3.

The shaft 1 maygbe journaled for rotation in any suitable bearing but as illustrated it portions l2 at the ends of the cylinder 2,' an an annular series of bearing balls 13 is arranged in 0 parts hereinafter fully de-ll scri ed and claimed, and illustrated in the i l l posing grooves or raceways formed in tie ottom of the lower hub or collar 6 and 1n F the top of a ring or plate 14 arranged upon the u per bearing portion 12 of the cylinder 2. 'l' 1e lower end of the shaft 1 may be roduced and one or more suitable bearings 15 may be provided for it in the supporting structure 3.

For the urposc of feathering the blades of the wheel Fpreferably provide u on each one of one of the series, referably he lower series, an inwardly projecting extension or arm 16 carrying an anti-friction roller 17 adapted to run upon a cam track 18. The latter is of substantially annular form and consists of a relatively stationary section 19 and a drop section 20. Each of said track sections is of substantially semi-circular shape and they have their ends pivot/ally` or hmgedly eonnected as shown at 21. he statlona section 19 is horizontally disposed land rlgidl connected by bracket arms22 to a rotatab e collar or sleeve 23 arranged upon a reduced portion 24 of the cylinder 2. The drop sec- W y g .ffl qw tion 2O of the track is adapted to move or swing vertically from the horizontal lane of the stationary section 19 to an angu ar osition so as to form inclined portions w lich lower and valso the anti-friction rollers 17 and c'olimaluontly th(` blades 4. It will bo soon that when tho rollers 17 are engaged with the stationary horizontal portion or section 19 of the track the blades 4 will be held in horizontal planes out of the wind, and that when said rollers move downwardly u on the drop section 2() of the track the b ades will drop to their vertical position into the wind, in which latter position they will remain until said rollers travel up the opposite end of thc drop section 2() and on to the stationar f' horizontal section 19. Since the blades oil the two series are connected for simultaneous movement by the links 10, the blades of the upper Series will swing with those of the lower one. The arms or projections 1G serve to over-balance the blades so that they will drop to their vertical position, but said biades may be overbalanced in any other suitable manner.

For the purpose of changing the position of the cam track 18 as the direction of the wind changes, I provide a vane 25 arranged upon an arm 26 which is Secured to one of the bracket arms 22 of the rotary collar 23 that carries the track. It will be seen that this vane will shift the track as the wind changes so that the blades on one side el Whei will be turned fun t@ the wind while those upon the other side will be feathered or turned edgewise to the arm.

The drop section 2U of the track may be raised and lowered for the purpose of turning the blades to a greater or less extent to the wind and thus controlling the speed oiE the wheel, either manually or automatically. It is controlled automatically by a vane 27 secured on the outer end of an arm or lever' 28 attached to a segmental gear 29 journaled on a vertical pin 3U upon one of the bracket arms 22 and adapted to mesh with a similar gear 31 journaled upon a horizontal pin or stud 32 on the rotary collar 23. The gear 31 is attached to a lever 33 having a curved inner portion and a radially projecting outer end 34 adapted to extend under the center of the drop section of the track for the purpose of raising and lowering the same.

The vane 27 is much smaller than the track controlling vane 25 and it is angularly arranged as more clearly shown in Fig. 3 so that 1t is only actuated by a strong wind. When it is moved inwardl and rearwardly, that is, in the direction oi the vane 25 the gears or gear segments 29, 31 will be actuated and the arm 34 will lift the drop track section 2O so that the blades will be turned to the wind to aless extent. Incase of a ver strong wind the arm 34 will lift the track section 20 to a horizontal position so that all of the blades will be thrown horizontal or edgewise to the wind. From the foregoing it will be seen that these parts rovide a ver effective speed governor for t e wheel, am one which is entirely automatic in its operation.

lior the purpose of manually operating the drop track section 2() I. provide a lever 35 in the form of a yoke which extends approximately half way around the e linder 2 and has its arms pivoted upon ms 36 which project from said cylinder. he inner ends of the arms or branches of this yoke lever are formed with cams 37 which bear, at diamctricall opposite points, upon the bottom of a col ar or sleeve 39 which surrounds the cylinder 2 and is verticall movable thereon. This collar 39 is uide( in its vertical sliding movement by t 1e pins 36 which project through vertical slots termed in said collar. Pivoted upon the inner portion of the arm 34 is a dog 38 adapted to have its lower end bear upon the up er portion of the collar 39 so that when theiiatter is raised by the cams 37 the arm 34 will be raised to elevate the drop section 20 of the track. A spring 39 is provided for the pur ose of pressing the dog or pawl 38 inwar ly and maintaining it in engagement with the collar 3Q as the arm 34 swings upwardly. The other end of the lever 35 may be connected to a cord or other operating element, 40, the lower end of which may be manually operated.

From the foreeoing description taken in connection with t ie accompanying drawings it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood without a more extended ex llanation.

Vhile I have shown and described in detail the preferred embodiment of' the invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction set forth and that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit o1' sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a windwheel, the combination of a vertical shaft, spokes radiating, therefrom, feathering blades upon said spokes, a tubular bearing surrounding the shaft, a `rotfdaable collar upon said bearing, a track havin a iixed section sup orted from said rotate. le collar, a vertical y swinging section for the track pivoted at its ends to the ends of the stationary section, means carried by the blades for engagement with said track, a vane carried b said rotatable collar for holding the bla( es to the wind, a vertically swinging arm for raising and lowering the swinging section of the track, said arm having its frcc outer end bearing upon the under facc of the outer portion of said movable track sect ion and its inner end curved and pivoted to one sido ol' said collar. :l beveled pinion carried b v the pivoted inner und of said arm. a second beveled pinion in mesh with thc first intentioned one, a ,'orerningg` vane carried by the second iinion and means for manually operating said arm.

'2. In a wimlnhcel, the combination of a vertical shaft, spokes radiating;- therefrom, feat hering blades upon said spokes, a tubular bearing surrounding the shaft. a rotatable colla-r upon said bearing. a track having a fixed section supported from said rotatable collar, a vertically swinging section for the track piroted at its ends to the ends of the stationary section. means carried b5' the blade.: for en ;igmncnt with said track. a rane carried `by said rotatable collar for holding the blades to the wind, a verticall) sn-nwlng arm for raising and lowering the i sin: oni: section of the track. said arm haaing;r its fs-ce ont er end bearing upon :he under face of the onzer portion of said movable;

track section and its inner cud curved and pvotcd 1.o one side of said coliar. a. beveled pinion carried me oiroted inner end of sait?. arm. a second bei led pinion in mesh r-isii the first mentioned one. a governing rane cai-tied b v the second pinion. ring surrounding said bearing and vcrt-iall) n. able rhereona pivorahy mounted spring prcsseddog cari Vd by said arm and engaged with said ring and a cam lever for actuating said ring.

3. In a trindwheel, the combination of a vertical shaft. spokes radiating therefrom, feathcring blades upon said spokes, a tubular bcaring surrounding the shaft. a rotatable collar upon said bearing, a track bovine a fixed section .n potted from said rotatable collar. a verticali* swinging section for the track pirotcd at its ends to the ends of the stationary section, mean-s carried by the. blades for engagement with said track, a vane carried b r said rotatable collar for holding the blades to thc wind, a vertically swinging arm for raising and lowering the movable sect-ion of the track, said arm having it-s pivot carried b5' said colla-r, a rine' vertically movable upon the hearing and disposed beneath the aria, a spring pressed pawl pivotcd upon the arm and enfaged with said ring, and means for Ina-nua. y raising and lowering said rin".

4. In a windnc'heel, the combination of a vertical shaft, spokes radiating therefrom, feather-ing blades upon said spokes, a tubular bearing surrounding the shaft, a rotatable collar upon said bearing a track havin a fixed section suplported from said rot-ata le collar, a vertices, tf swinging section for the track pivoted at its ends to the ends of the stationary section, means carried by the blades for engagomcntwith said track, a vane carried by said rotatable collar for bold ing thc blades Lo t-ho wind, a vertically Swinging nrni for raising und lowering the movable section ol" tho track, .said arm ha\'- ing its` iivot carried by said collar. a ring vorlically movable upon the bearing and disposed beneath the arm, a spring pressed pawl pvotcd upon tho arm and engaged with said ring, and a cani lever for raising and lowering said rin 5. In a windwhce thc combination ol' a vclticnl shaft, spokes radiating therefrom, feathcring blades upon said spokes, a. tubular bearing surrounding the shalt, a rotatable collar upon said bearing. a track having a iixod section supported from said rotatableI collar, a vcrticallt swinging section for thc track pivuted at its ends to the ends of the stationar)v section, means carried by the blades for engagementwith said track, a vane carried by said rotatable collar l or hold ing the blades to the wind. a vertically Swix-.ging arm for actuating said movable sect-ion of the track, said arm having its pivotcarried by the collar. a ring arranged for vertical movement on the bearing beneath said arm. means carried by the arm and eneaged with said ring, a forked lever to st radille the bearing and pivotally mounted thereon. the free ends of the lover having can! portions to engage and act-nate said ring, and an o erating connection attached to the other em of the lever.

6. In ahrvindtvheel, the combination of a velt-ical shaft, spokes radiating therefrom, fea' `beting blades upon said spokes, a tubular bearing surrounding the shaft, a. rotatable collar upon said bearing, a track benino;` a lixed section su ported from said rotatable colla-r, a venkel-lj. srrneing section for said track piroted at its en to the ends of the stationary scc-tion, means carried b v t-hc blades for c a'agcnmntwith said track, a vane carried r said rotatable collar for holding the blades to the '.ind, a vertically swinging arm carried by the collar and adapted to actuatc the movable section of the track, a ring vertically movable upon the bearing and provided with slotted depending members arranged nc diamctrically opposite point-s, pivot-s projecting from the bea-ring and through the slots in said members t-o guide the ring in its sliding movement, a yoke-shaped lever pivoted upon said pivots and having its free ends formed with cam portions to engage and actuate t-hc ring, a spring pressed dog or pawl carried by the arm and adapted to e age said ring, and means for actuating sai' lever.

7. In a windwheel, the combination of a supporting structure, feathering blades, a rotatable member carrying a track having a. vertically swinging section, an arm for supporting said swinging track section, means carried bi the blades for engagement with In testimony whereof I hereunto nfx my srzld treo a. vertically slidlble rilng upo signature in the presence of two witnesses. t estructura, as rin resse ew 'wow t0 the a-rm und elxjgngge with tlle ring and a DANIEL BENTN WOOD yoke-shaped lever plvoted to the structure Witnesses:

and havmg cam portions to engage and J. Nomos,

actuate said ring. C. M. HxLLMAN. 

